Nineteen killed in Lakki Marwat terror attack By Ghulam Mursalin Marwat

Nineteen killed in Lakki Marwat terror attack

By Ghulam Mursalin Marwat 

Tuesday, 07 Sep, 2010

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/schoolchildren-among-19-killed-in-lakki-marwat-terror-attack-790

LAKKI MARWAT, Sept 6: A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a police station here on Monday, killing 19 people and injuring 57. 

Four schoolchildren, aged between nine and 10, a schoolteacher and nine policemen were among the dead in the early morning blast, police said. 

(According to Reuters, Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack and warned the government not to use lashkar to fight the group.) 

An official said the bomber detonated about 500 to 600 kilograms of explosives in a land behind the police station at around 7 am. The explosion destroyed or damaged adjoining buildings, shops and a mosque. 

The official said that policemen were inside the building while local people, including schoolchildren, were passing by when the bomber struck. Several policemen were trapped in the debris. 

A rescue operation was launched to pull out the dead and the injured from the debris. The bodies of nine policemen were retrieved from the wreckage. 

DCO Muhammad Ayaz Mandokhel, DPO Gul Wali Khan and SSP Investigation Qayyum Jan Marwat supervised the rescue work. 

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told reporters that 19 people had been killed in the bombing. 

“The militants are taking advantage of the flood situation. They know that we are busy in relief and rescue work,” Mr Hussain said. “We are not going to lower our guard. We need a relentless, comprehensive and effective strategy to chase and hunt them down in their tribal sanctuary. These terrorists can no longer deceive the people in the name of Islam,” said Mr Hussain whose only son was killed recently by terrorists outside his home in Pabbi area. 

Government officials insist that while back of militancy has been broken, the scourge is yet to be eradicated.“It will take years,” said a security official. “We will have to live with these attacks for quite some time.” 

A security official claimed that the bombing was in retaliation for a raid to capture the mastermind of Shah Hassankhel suicide bombing last year. The mastermind, Sanadullah, alias Sanad, blew himself up when security forces raided his house. 

In January a suicide bomber killed 99 people when he drove an explosives-laden car into a crowd of men, women and children watching a volleyball match in Shah Hasan Khan village.

Agencies add: There were some 45 policemen inside the building when the bomber struck the building. 

Doctor Ghulam Ali, medical superintendent of Lakki Marwat’s main hospital, said that 17 bodies and 45 wounded had been brought to his hospital, which was also damaged in the blast. 

“Three schoolboys and a girl waiting for their school van also died in the bombing,” district police chief Gul Wali Khan said. 

The information minister said that terrorists were regrouping and they needed to be hit hard. 

“We are standing on a powder keg and if an effective action is not taken, it will be a failure of the government,” the minister said. 

“It goes to show that the terrorists have no creed except bloodshed and chaos, and are desperately carrying out their agenda regardless of the precarious conditions,” Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani told a meeting of provincial officials. 

'Dawood suffered Rs 50 crore loss due to third no-ball': Sports : India Today

'Dawood suffered Rs 50 crore loss due to third no-ball': Sports : India Today

'Dawood suffered Rs 50 crore loss due to third no-ball'

Aariz Chandra

Mumbai, September 6, 2010

Updated 10:05 IST

The third no-ball bowled by Pakistan against England in the fourth Test match during the recently concluded series cost underworld don Dawood Ibrahim Rs 50 crore in Mumbai alone as his bookies had no clue about it.

The latest match-fixing scandal has put the spotlight on cricket's dirty links with the underworld where spot fixing is not new. Sources told Headlines Today that only two no-balls were to be bowled by the Pakistan pacers. Bets of Rs 300 crore were riding on this match worldwide out of which betting worth Rs 50 crore was from Mumbai only, sources said.

Pakistani bookie Mazhar Majeed was assigned the task of spot fixing in this match. He was assigned the task of fixing two no-balls in two overs. The information was made available to all the bookies who had links with Dawood's betting syndicate.

Everything was happening as per the plan. Both Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif bowled one no-ball each and the bookies made huge profits. But the tables turned when Asif bowled the third no-ball. It left the bookies in Mumbai stunned as they incurred huge losses, sources said.

Dawood's men responsible for his betting syndicate in Mumbai -- Junior Kolkata and Kothari -- called up their boss Sunil Dubai. They requested him to call off the bets as following the third no-ball Mumbai's bookies had started demanding that they return their money.

Sunil Dubai then informed Shoiab Khan -- the man running Dawood's betting syndicate from Karachi. Shoaib made it clear that any hue and cry over botched up fixing could expose the syndicate so it was better to return the money and bear the losses.

Underworld links in the betting syndicate have been speculated for quite sometime. But it is only now that stronger evidence has emerged. Instructions are given from Dubai and Karachi and all moves are planned before the game. As far as profit and losses are concerned, it is all a part of the game.

Suicide bomber kills 20 in northwest Pakistan

Suicide bomber kills 20 in northwest Pakistan

Suicide bomber kills 20 in northwest Pakistan

Tags : Shiite Muslims, al Qaeda, Taliban, suicide attack

Posted: Mon Sep 06 2010, 08:48 hrs

Updated: Mon Sep 06 2010, 11:32 hrs

Peshawar:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/suicide-bomber-kills-20-in-northwest-pakistan/677750/0

A suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a police station in northwest Pakistan today, killing at least 20 people, including 11 policemen and four schoolchildren.

The attacker targeted the main police station in Lakki Marwat, a key city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, shattering the premises with the blast leaving 40 others wounded.

The police station, a nearby mosque and a government office collapsed while portions of two other government buildings were damaged.

The bomber struck at 7 am, when most of the 45 policemen at the station were asleep following 'sehri', the pre-dawn meal partaken ahead of a day-long fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan.

A school bus was passing the area when the blast occurred. A live electric wire fell on the vehicle, killing four children and injuring several others.

At least 10 policemen were among the injured. Several of the injured were in a critical condition, officials in local hospitals said.

Local residents joined rescue operations and rushed the injured to hospital in private vehicles.

The bomber targeted the police station from the rear as its front side and entrance were barricaded with cement blocks, officials said.

Experts of the bomb disposal squad said over 40 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack.

Officials said they feared the death toll could rise as rescuers were still clearing the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Lakki Marwat has witnessed several deadly terrorist attacks that targeted members of anti-Taliban militias and policemen.

In January, a Taliban bomber blew himself up at a football ground on the outskirts of the city and killed nearly 100 people. The people were targeted as they had resisted the Taliban's efforts to infiltrate the area.

Malik, Chidambaram discuss Pak's 26/11 trial

Malik, Chidambaram discuss Pak's 26/11 trial

Malik, Chidambaram discuss Pak's 26/11 trial

Tags : P Chidambaram, Rehman Malik

Posted: Sun Sep 05 2010, 14:56 hrs

Islamabad:

The trial of LeT's Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six other suspects in Mumbai attacks and Pakistan's proposal to form a commission that would visit India to record testimony of two key witnesses figured prominently in the telephonic talks Interior Minister Rehman Malik had with his Indian counterpart P Chidambaram.

"We discussed security issues and the ongoing trial here in Pakistan, of those accused in the Mumbai blast," Malik wrote on Twitter, a social networking website.

During their conversation yesterday, the Pakistani minister proposed that a Commission may be formed to visit India to record the testimony of two key Indian witnesses for taking forward the trial of the seven Pakistani suspects.

"I also proposed that a Commission may be formed to visit India and record the statements of the witnesses... I explained to Mr Chidambaram that the appearance of two main Indian witnesses in Pakistani Court is most important for trial process to continue here," he tweeted.

Malik, who has over 5,000 followers on Twitter, also "appreciated" the sympathy and condolences extended by Chidambaram on the loss of lives and property due to the devastating floods in Pakistan.

The Pakistani Interior Minister, who held talks with Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal here yesterday, had earlier told reporters that the trial of Lakhvi and six other suspects was "stuck" over the issue of Indian witnesses testifying via video-conferencing as this was not allowed under Pakistani laws.

He had said that Chidambaram told him that the Pakistani proposal about formation of a commission would be "examined" when it is received.

Though India proposed that the testimony of the two witnesses -- the magistrate who recorded the confessional statement of lone surviving Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab and the police officer who investigated the incident -- should be recorded via video conferencing, Malik said this was not permitted by Pakistani laws.

Teammates fixed every game, Pak cricketer tells NOTW - Hindustan Times

Teammates fixed every game, Pak cricketer tells NOTW - Hindustan Times

Teammates fixed every game, Pak cricketer tells NOTW

Press Trust Of India

London/Karachi, September 05, 2010First Published: 07:53 IST(5/9/2010)

Last Updated: 15:23 IST(5/9/2010)

In a sensational twist to the spot-fixing scandal, former Pakistan opener Yasir Hameed on Sunday claimed that his teammates were involved in fixing "almost every match" even as a fourth touring Pakistani player came under investigation in the scam which grew in proportion after fresh

Even before the dust could settle over the suspension of the tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, British tabloid News of the World, came out with more explosive revelations.

While the tabloid gave startling details of the conversations and the modus operandi of the bookies, the report of a Sri Lankan player being investigated by the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit added to the crisis facing the game.

Hameed told the tabloid that he had been asked by a bookmaker to help fix a Test for 100,000 pounds, but he turned down the money and said his teammates were fixing almost every match.

"They've been caught. Only the ones that get caught are branded crooks. They were doing it (fixing) in almost every match. God knows what they were up to. Scotland Yard was after them for ages", Hameed is quoted as saying in the sting interview which was released by the tabloid.

But within a few hours after the video of the interview was released, Hameed denied having given any such interview, saying he could never think of accusing his teammates of fixing matches.

"I have told the team management that the newspaper is claiming that I have given them an interview. This is not correct. I deny it", he said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board was huddled in an emergency meeting to take stock of the situation amid speculation that the team's tour of England could be called off to avoid further embarrassment.

Pakistan has all along maintained that its players were innocent and the entire episode was a conspiracy to alienate the country, which has not hosted any international cricket since last year's Lahore terror attack on the Sri Lankan team.

Pakistan's High Commissioner in Britain Wajid Shamsul Hasan has called the suspension of its players unethical and threatened to sue the ICC if the trio is eventually found innocent.

Hameed, on the other hand, could face disciplinary action from the ICC for violating its anti-corruption code of conduct which states that it is an offence if a player "fails to disclose to the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (without undue delay) full details of any approaches ... that would amount to a breach of the anti-corruption code".

Ban Pakistan for match fixing

Ban Pakistan for match fixing

Ban Pakistan, save the faith!

Updated on Wednesday, September 01, 2010, 12:38

http://www.zeenews.com/blog/58/blog417.html

When the match-fixing news story involving Pakistan captain Salman Butt and his fellow players being involved in taking money for bowling three blatant no-balls at “crucial times” against England broke, it came across more as ‘depressing’ rather than ‘shocking’ for the people who follow Pakistan cricket closely.

Pakistan have had a turbulent cricket history and the allegations of ‘throwing’ wickets, underperforming, faking injuries for money have been a regular feature in Pakistan cricket.

It is said that you need to be an archaeologist to find out the primitive trace of this problem in Pakistan and it is due to these fixing allegations-counter allegations from Pak cricketers that this has become the single greatest threat to its sporting ethics.

From the year 2000, when the ghost of match-fixing first came to haunt the cricketing world, the number of blames, accusations and allegations of ‘fixing’ followed by setting up of judicial commissions to find out the ‘truth’ has lost count.

The upsetting ‘truth’ however is that Pakistan is the only nation which has not managed to shake off the ghost of match-fixing since its inception. The ‘truth’ is that the Pakistan Cricket Board have never set any exemplary punishment which can serve as a stern warning to the new generation of cricketers. The ‘truth’ is that dummy judicial commissions set up for probes have never been able to clear the whispers of ‘greedy cricketers’ around their team.

The only thing that the board has succeeded so far is providing the ‘cover-up’ for these cricketers and in process, the silent nod for continuing with this malice.

From small to big and old to new; the names of ‘clean’ Pak cricketers have been few!

The tainted list of Pakistani cricketers or at least the ones who have been alleged of underperforming in past includes Salim Malik, Ata-ur-Rehman, Mushtaq Ahmed and even the likes of Wasim Akram.

But blame it on the utterly shambolic nature of PCB, Pakistan has never managed to make a clean break with match-fixing, merely cleaning the old and unwanted from the scene and leaving the deep-rooted problem unanswered!

Before these spot-fixing allegations in England, Pakistan cricket team was rocked by fixing and indiscipline allegations during Australian tour under captain Mohammad Yousuf.

While the Pakistan’s terrible collapse during the fourth innings chase reeked of match-fixing, the indiscipline followed by an impotent cricket board’s cover-up was out there for everyone to see.

Indiscipline loomed so large across Pakistan’s dressing room that Akmal brothers openly challenged the touring management with Kamran even insisting that he would play in the final Test in Hobart despite the board having released a statement saying he would be dropped. Not only that, it was alleged that Umar Akmal feigned an injury and refused to play in next Test if his brother was dropped.

A finger was raised on Shoaib Malik too as it was also reported that he has consistently been at the centre of accusations of intrigue and factionalism within the team since he was removed as leader in 2009.

The allegations were probed and PCB enquiry saw Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan being banned indefinitely, Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan for a year and Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers, Umar and Kamran, fined and placed on probation for six months.

But what happened next was a classic example of PCB’s tendency of brushing dirt under the carpet.

After all the players- barring Mohammad Yousuf -appealed against their bans and fines, the charges were revoked!

It looked as if Shoaib Malik was given the ‘award’ to marry Indian tennis player Saina Mirza and after poor show from Pakistan in the England tour, even Mohammad Yousuf, who was earlier termed as ‘leader of the mess’, was recalled.

Now, with the same Sydney Test coming under the scanner of also being ‘fixed’, the question which arises today is if we can trust what we see on the field.

Cricket has always been termed as the game of uncertainties but with these shameless practices of ‘fixing’ floating around, every unusual error or action on the sporting field, be it a no-ball, a dropped catch, slow scoring rate, or conceded penalty, will raise eyebrows for uglier reasons than lack of ability!

After being dogged by corruption claims for years, there is no sympathy if any of their players are now found guilty of fixing results.

Nothing can be more disturbing for fans than allegations that the faith for the ‘Gentleman’s Game’ has been sold.

Ban Pakistan from all games of cricket, if that provides the solution to the epidemic. When South Africa, arguably the strongest team of the world during 70s, can be banned for 21 years of International cricket from 1970-91 for ‘apartheid’ and racial segregation, then why not Pakistan- who has bluntly refused to take any initiative for years to stop the practice of bringing regular shame to the game!

The loyalty of fans just cannot be taken for granted and that should be the final word!

(The views expressed by the author in the blog are his/her own)

Gandhi's grandson pitches in for Pak flood aid - Hindustan Times

Gandhi's grandson pitches in for Pak flood aid - Hindustan Times

Gandhi's grandson pitches in for Pak flood aid

Indo-Asian News Service

United Nations, September 04, 2010First Published: 12:42 IST(4/9/2010)

Last Updated: 12:46 IST(4/9/2010)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/pakistan/Gandhi-s-grandson-pitches-in-for-Pak-flood-aid/Article1-595915.aspx

Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, has asked people for more help in flood relief efforts in Pakistan, saying humanitarian needs should transcend international rift. "Let us praise and honour the stoic bravery of the victims of Pakistan's floods," Gandhi said. The floods in

Pakistan have affected over 18 million people. The UN had appealed for at least $ 459.7 million for Pakistan, but only 63.4 per cent of the amount has been raised, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Friday.

"These millions of Pakistanis are life-loving, not death-loving millions," Xinhua quoted Gandhi as saying at the UN headquarters on Friday.

Gandhi is a research professor at the Centre for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois, US. He is a former member of the Rajya Sabha and has written many books.

For the rehabilitation of the flood-hit people much more help is needed from the whole international community, either through the UN or private donations, he said.

"The UN has helped, the US has helped, this aid has been priceless, but so much more is needed," Gandhi said.

Gandhi said India's sympathy for the Pakistanis could be an opportunity for the "removal of the wall of enmity and mistrust" between the two countries.

"It is a possibility, and it really depends on so many of us in India and Pakistan if we are to take advantage of this," Gandhi said.

Meanwhile, Abduallah Hussain Haroon, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said he greatly appreciated donations from "people of all races, all colours and all religions", including the people and government of India.

Disease, displacement and economic problems are certain to linger long beyond the initial recovery stage, he said, adding "This is the tip of the iceberg, the worst is yet to happen".